Author's Notes:

Pre-Episode Note
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Hey everyone, look who finally stopped procrastinating and got the new episode of MLP:FoG up. In all seriousness though, I finally finished scripting the entire first season and supplementary chapters and wanted to begin posting chapters again. Because who wouldn't? But before we get into that, I have a little update. Between seasons one and two of the story, I will be releasing other stories to fimfiction.net. Five of them to be precise. So, since waiting has been a thing with these recent chapters of the story, I thought I'd share with you what these five stories will be. Firstly, apart from one, they will be SHORT stories. That means one chapter, one off, and unconnected to MLP:FoG. These are not in a particular order of release, and also, all names are pending. That being said, here they are.

Number one is called "First Flight: A Rainbow Dash & Scootaloo Story". The world needs more Scootalove, and I'm just the writer to give it to them. This story centers around Scootaloo facing her biggest breakdown yet and how Rainbow Dash has to help bring her out of the darkness. Warning though, this story will discuss some mature subject matters, though not as dark as MLP:FoG.

Number two is called "Facing the Consequences". What if Rainbow Dash wasn't able to perform the sonic rainboom and save Rarity and the Wonderbolts during the Best Young Flier competition? Well, when you read this story, you'll find out. This story will obviously include some more mature tones.

Number three is "Immortal". Yes, it's a concept that's been done many times before and shall be done again. Not everything about being an Alicorn Princess is a good thing. It becomes all too clear when Twilight has to face the one thing she never wanted, the deaths of her friends. This one will be quite mature and written in a dark manner.

Number four is "Not So Great & Powerful Anymore". After Twilight Sparkle shows Trixie up, the showmare leaves Ponyville broken and defeated. She tries to continue performing her shows, but nopony cares anymore. So she does the one thing she always dreaded doing, taking a real job. But what will happen when she finds out who's family the rock farm belongs to? Will contain some mild swearing and blood, but that's it.

Number five is "Woes of a DJ". Vinyl Scratch is feeling down. She gets to play some awesome music for ponies at many parties and events, but never just gets to enjoy it herself. With her best friends Pinkie Pie, Octavia Melody, and Neon Lights by her side, she yearns to discover exactly what she is meant to do with her life. This story is more mature than the show, but nowhere near the level of MLP:FoG. It deals with depression and suicide.

And number six is "Letters from Sunset". Following the events of Rainbow Rocks, Sunset Shimmer writes letters to Princess Twilight in her two-way book. This story will actually be a recurring story with a new letter added every now and then. If all goes well, I might even make it a daily diary entry kind of thing. I don't know yet if I'm going to include replies from Princess Twilight though. I will say that this story will be very show/movie friendly and will take place within the same universe as said show/movies.

Episode 22: The Search for Derpy Hooves
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It had been five days now; five days since that grievous moment when the news of poor Dinky's death had been brought to their doorstep. The day had begun just as any other. Everything was peaceful in Ponyville, a surprising feat considering everything that had occurred in the eight months since the arrival of the dark stars. It's almost seemed to be non-stop terror since then, one trouble after another. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, their small town had suddenly undergone an unexpected period of tranquility, breaking out from the misery they've faced and wrapping the ponies in a much needed, warm embrace. Everything just seemed so right for the first time in a long time. However, Derpy Hooves wasn't too sure about this abrupt harmony.

The adoptive mother of both Dinky Hooves and Amethyst Star, Derpy is a Ponyville mail mare. Unlike most, who had been enjoying this peace, she was skeptical to say the least. The day prior to the news of her daughter's untimely demise, she had been saying to Amethyst, "Do you get the feeling that everything is just too peaceful around here? This isn't right." Those words have stuck with the young Amethyst ever since, and seemed to herald that fateful knock at the door. Right as the sound hit her ears, she knew this wasn't a cordial visit. Something was wrong; her mother was right.

So why did everything seem so ordinary? Even just ten minutes prior to the knock echoing out through the house, it appeared to be an ordinary Equestrian day. Derpy had just returned home from delivering the day's mail throughout the town. It's a job she takes quite seriously. It's true that compared to some of the country’s more luxurious locales, Ponyville is on the small side. Everypony knows that. But for her, the effort and overall rewarding experience of being the mail mare in such a small town is the best thing she could ask for. She loves meeting with the ponies, and delivering their letters and packages to them directly. To get to chat with them and leave them with one of her brilliant, heart-warming smiles. It makes her day, every day.

Yet there are some who aren't as thrilled with Derpy. It's not that she's a poor flier, like some ponies ignorantly think. That isn't the main issue most have with her. Hay, it isn't even true. She's actually a highly skilled flier who's even captured the attention of the Wonderbolts. And for Equestria's top aerial team and military unit to give her their stamp of approval is saying something. Yet, ponies still don't seem to care. It's instead her eyes that cause the biggest issue. She suffers under a medical condition called strabismus, aka: heterotropia. This means that her eyes aren't properly aligned with one another, causing her cross-eyed appearance.

It's a treatable condition, yet Derpy refuses to get the necessary surgery. She claims that she likes the way she looks; that it makes her unique and special, and is a part of who she is. She can see perfectly fine, and in some ways, better than other ponies. However, the condition also has some negative effects on her. Some of the recurring symptoms she faces include double vision, headaches, and dizziness. She'll crash into buildings while flying, or even other ponies. She causes problems, and sometimes accidentally drops mail or delivers the wrong letters to ponies. It's not her fault by any means, but many still fabricate assumptions about her, and give her a hard time.

"Hey everypony, look over there! The wonky-eyed mare is ditzing around again!"

"She's so clumsy!"

"Look how ridiculous she looks. Why isn't she in some kind of hospital?"

She's heard these kinds of hurtful words and more thrown forcefully at her, and yet, that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. These ponies who do these horrible things, speak horrible words, don't know anything about her. They don't know who Derpy Hooves really is, and what she's capable of. A single mother who adopted her two daughters from an abusive orphanage. A regular volunteer for local and country-wide projects for the sake of lending a helping hoof. A pony who goes out of her way to help a neighbor in need, even when inconvenient for herself. A genius-level IQ, a caring heart, a loving personality. THAT'S the kind of pony Derpy is, the kind of pony that Amethyst aspires to be one day.

Yet no matter what all the other ponies say or think about her, Derpy will always give them her warm, gentle smile as she wishes them a wonderful, blessed day. Is she even hurt by their words? Well of course she is, but in the end, she never lets it get her down. She refuses to let her life be ruled over by negative feelings. If she can help others and make the world a better place for the good of all ponykind, then that's all that really matters to her. Amethyst looks up to her mother because of this. She's her hero. Despite all the circumstances, she always powers through with the strength of a thousand stallions, with a heart as strong as a horse. But then, five days ago, that knock came to their door.

Standing there on the step was Agelian Wingblade, Dinky's fiancé. Both of the mares greeted him with a smile, having been close friends with the pegasus prior to his falling in love with Dinky. He couldn't return that happiness, however. He told them of what happened on their trip to Detrot; how he was possessed by the force behind the dark stars, Oblivion, and was forced to murder his own fiancée, Dinky, in the most gruesome, mortifying way possible. It was then that the calm, gentle, loving demeanor of Derpy Hooves finally broke. For a moment, she just stood there in the doorway, her smile not yet having faded. However, even though her expression remained the same, they could see that it was no longer filled with the joy it had been. Now blank, void of any positive emotion, the emotionless expression was left spread across her face, echoing the resonant sounds of her heart breaking.

They both knew right away that he wasn't lying either. Agelian would never fabricate something as hurtful as this. The tears cascading down his cheeks, the cracking of his voice, and intense sorrow shown in his eyes and every word he spoke. His honesty was clear to both Derpy and her daughter. They couldn't believe him though. They just couldn't believe that Dinky was really dead. Why wasn't he lying? Why wasn't this just a joke?

A few moments of silence passed then. Nopony said anything, and instead looked down at their hooves as they contemplated this single piece of time. In delayed shock and horror, Derpy's eyes suddenly widened and mouth dropped. Tears dropped from her eyes, and the expressionless smile twisted and morphed into the most terrible of expressions. Her face showed a depressing sorrow that none of them had ever seen as she then slammed the door in Agelian's face. Breaking down, she began to cry hysterically as she flew up the staircase and into her bedroom, slamming that door behind her as well and locking it shut.

She had lost one of her beloved children that day. It was one of her greatest fears, as she had always bragged to others of her love for them. She would often refer to Amethyst and Dinky as her entire reason for living, and in one fell swoop, one of those two things more precious to her than her own life was taken from the world. Looking out the front window, tears streaming down her own face, Amethyst watched as Agelian turned and flew away, crying almost as hard as Derpy was. So turning, she went to try and comfort her mother during this hard time. Truth be told, she needed the comfort of her mother just as much. She had lost a sister here as well, one with whom she had been insanely close to. She was almost breaking down herself.

She knocked and knocked and knocked for minutes on end, yet Derpy refused to answer a single one of them. Her cries resounded throughout the home, the volume increasing and decreasing at varying rates. It easily could have been hours that Derpy was continuously bawling, and truthfully, Amethyst laid there at the door, doing the same. The lack of blood-relation didn't matter to either her or her mother. They were closer than a lot of blood-related families. She can remember how they'd always spend time together. Playing games, reading, having fun. Amethyst and Dinky even competed in the Sisterhooves Social together every year at Sweet Apple Acres. She knew what her mother was feeling, and so she too went to her room to cry into her bed. Days have passed since then, and now she sits at her mother's door once again.

She has yet to see Derpy since five days ago. She had locked herself into her room, and hasn't left even once ever since. None of the family's closest friends or co-workers have seen her either, including the post office Derpy works at. She hadn't been showing up for work, and they had begun to worry about the normally cheery mail mare. The issues this has caused at the post office alone have been terrible. Fortunately, they all understand what the family must be going through. It's surprising considering how some of the town's residents treat Derpy, but it only goes to prove that there are some there who truly care about her. In contrast, the general public's response has been quite different; mixed to negative. While there are still some ponies who do genuinely feel sorry for Derpy and Amethyst, especially those with children of their own, or those very close to their families, there are also those who find no sympathy for the mares, continuing instead to act on the maturity of a wet blanket.

They laugh at and taunt her. Cries ring out, calling her pathetic and whiney. Some say that it's all a ruse she's pulling to try and make other ponies feel sorry for her. And it's those accusers that Amethyst despises the most. She just wishes she could lay into them, yet for her mother's sake, she has chosen to bite her tongue and keep her anger in check. She can understand why her mother hasn't left the bedroom since five days ago. She's at her weakest point, and those hurtful words that normally wouldn't affect her now pierce her broken shield and into her flesh. It's a horrible thing to ever face, and a lie just would've been easier to take. Amethyst's surprised that she's even been able to keep standing after this all. In the end, she knows that it's her mother's influence. She's become a lot stronger since she was rescued from that orphanage by Derpy. She still cries, she still feels the pain, but she pushes past it and lives on.

"Mom?" she quietly calls as she leans against the bedroom door, knocking gently as she listens in. Nopony answers, nothing but dead air escapes from the room. She can't even hear a bit of crying anymore. So she knocks again, thinking about how much pain her mother must be in. She just wants to be there for her in this time. She wants to hold her and cry into her fur. She wants to be there for her, and for her mother to be there for her as well. No response of any kind comes from the room. No rolling around in the bed, shifting positions in the room, moving across the floor, or anything else. Worry begins to eclipse the mare. She tries for the knob and is surprised as it turns fully, allowing her entrance.

"The door's unlocked?" she whispers to herself. But this isn't possible. She swears that her mother had locked it when she flew in five days ago. Has she since unlocked it? Amethyst wonders if she should even go in. Maybe her mother still wants some privacy. She probably wants some time to be by herself and rest...no, she has to help. It's been too long now. She has to see her mother again. So she turns the knob again and pushes the door slowly open.

"Mom, it's Amethyst. Are you alright?" she asks as she cautiously enters, pinning herself to the door. However, as she trots in and takes a look around, her heart sinks into the depths of her chest as the only thing she sees is an open window and empty bed.

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The horrible, and untimely, murder of Captain Everglade Falls had taken everypony by surprise when they first heard about it. There was not a single warning sign, threat made against her, or anything. It just sort of happened, which in and of itself is actually the most shocking part of the entire ordeal. The fact that she was able to be killed in the first place is something that should have been impossible, especially when it was done without evidence left behind. Following the Dark Star Incident all those months ago, security measures were put in place so that she couldn't be going anywhere alone. She would have constant accompaniment by high-ranking members of the guard. Yet she was found alone and horribly mutilated in Ghastly Gorge somehow. It was only an hour or so following the last time she was publicly seen in Canterlot as well. How could she have even gotten to the Gorge within that time? Nopony knows, but hopefully it'll be figured out soon as the investigation team continues to look into it. Canterlot's entire guard is on the case as well, now being led by Everglade's replacement as Captain, Meteor Spark.

His promotion to Captain was a lot more bitter and unceremonious than he would've hoped only months ago. He always dreamed of reaching that rank, but never in this way, as he held a very high level of respect for his superiors. During his initial, and only, address, he announced that he would do his best to make sure those responsible for the murder would be taken care of, and that justice in this case by any and all means necessary was his number one goal. He also announced that Lieutenant Leclerc would be taking over as the new Commander, and that a strong-willed guard named Montes would be the new Lieutenant. Since then, none of his friends in Ponyville have seen much of him. Of course, it's to be expected considering his new and highly important duties, but they still miss having him around either way.

Everypony's mood has been declining more and more lately, something that both Bri and Scatter just couldn't bear to witness. So they decided that what everypony needed was a big party to cheer them up, one for the entire town and anyone else who might want to come from other parts of Equestria. Thanks to past experiences, they were able to secure some high name ponies for the party. Vinyl Scratch agreed to come on as the event's DJ, and even the Cake Twins from Sugarcube Corner agreed to cater, supplying tons of delicious foods for everypony, both savory and sweet. Neon Lights was supposed to come as well, but was unfortunately held up and couldn't make it on time.

Fortunately enough, however, even without Neon Lights there, the party seems to have worked well in what it was going for. Everypony has packed into town hall and are now having one hay of a time as the music blasts loudly throughout the building and bright, colored lights flash over the dance floor. Ponies of all ages are dancing, talking, and generally having a great time. Of course, they haven't forgotten the problems that have been plaguing their country lately. Who could forget things like that? Instead they've just pushed those troubles to the side for now so that they can enjoy their time. The night is always darkest before the dawn, and this simple little get together has helped a lot of them realize that the dawn is coming.

Over at the large turntable set up in the back of the room, Vinyl begins to switch records for the next song when suddenly, the CMC MkII trot up to her. Their eyes are filled with overenthusiastic glee and every step they take has a little bounce in it. Smiling up at the DJ, who peers over at them all curiously, Honeysuckle bats her eyelashes and asks in her thick Trottingham accent, "Miss Pon3? Would ya mind if we maybe helped ya? We're trying to get our cutie marks, and we thought that maybe we could be dj's too!"

"You just thought you could be dj's, just like that?" Vinyl asks with a smirk.

"Well, it was actually Majus who thought it," the little filly explains, motioning over to her friend, "he's a BIG fan of yours!"

Looking over at the dark-coated young colt, who blushes and turns away, Vinyl chuckles quietly to herself and replies to the four of them, "Well then hop on up and help me send out some sweet wubs to all these awesome ponies!"

The four of them let out a chorus of excited squees, though none as prevalent as Majus', and run up the short stairs onto the platform. Grabbing her microphone, Vinyl then looks out to all the ponies enjoying the party and asks, "Does anypony know what time it is?" Everpony turns to the turntable with confused and inquisitive expressions. Quiet murmurs begin to rise up as everypony questions why the DJ would be asking this. On stage, Vinyl passes her mic over to Majus and leans over, whispering into his ear. Eyes shimmering with ardor, he raises the microphone to his mouth and shouts out at the top of his lungs, "IT'S TIME TO DROP THE BASS!"

All the ponies in the hall cheer out, their voices erupting violently. Smiling over at Majus, Vinyl lifts him up and tells him that it'd be her honor to let him start the next song, then telling him exactly how to do so with the turntable. Grinning from ear to ear, he does as instructed. And as he does, his friends watch with shock and awe, their mouths dropping open. Vinyl herself is surprised, but returns to her cool beam as she once again grabs the mic, yelling out above the music, "THIS SONG IS DEDICATED TO MY MAIN COLT MAJUS HERE, WHO JUST GOT HIS CUTIE MARK!"

Now as shocked as his friends, Majus leaps down and turns to look at his flank in the flashing lights. Tears begin to fill his eyes as he sees a shiny vinyl record looking back at him. Spring, Honeysuckle, and Gumdrop cheer out and hug their friend in celebration, then pull him off to join the party of all the ponies now applauding the colt and chanting his name in beat with the music. The room then begins to get pumping once again, and the dancing and jubilation resumes.

Over on the dance floor, the large crowd has begun to gather themselves into a circle, cheering now for two specific ponies on the floor. The music playing, a mix between one of Octavia Melody's concerto's and Vinyl's own dubstep sound, gets the crowd excited as Scatter Brain and Bri Happer begin to cut a rug in the middle of the hall. Rocking out, they pull all kinds of intricate and wild moves. Spins, flips, and some strangely robotic motions. They dance as if they were only one pony, moving in perfect synchronization with each other. Their pacing with the beat of the song is perfect, and the crowd around them celebrate in their joy. The CMC MkII pull Majus onto the open floor and begin to join the two, to which the ponies begin chanting out the newly marked colt's name again.

Over by the doors to the hall, Agelian sits there, staring off into space as he thinks back to when he told Derpy and Amethyst about Dinky. Heart aching, he lets out an exasperated sigh and leans back against the wall. He can still remember killing her in vivid detail. Although it wasn't actually him, he can still see, feel, and taste every awful moment of it. And her mother's face when he told her, it was just so poignant. Piteous chills run down his spine as he thinks about it. He doesn't want to remember, doesn't want it to be real, but he knows it is. There's nothing he can do about it. As he wallows in his misery, Terra slowly approaches, looking at his miserable friend with pity and sorrow of his own.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asks Agelian, "a cup of punch maybe, or some snacks?"

"Just leave me alone."

Ignoring his friends command, he solemnly takes a seat beside Agelian and looks over. His friend glares back at him, angry that he decided to stay. Sighing, Terra tells him, "I know how you must be feeling right now. With Everglade dying too, it just seems like we're all losing loved ones lately."

"Yeah, you seem REALLY upset by all of this," the pegasus grunts back, rolling his eyes.

"You're right. I'm not as reactive towards these things as I should be. My time in the guard has desensitized me, and I hate that it has. But while I may not show emotions like I once did, I still feel. I've loved Everglade for years now, and I never got to tell her that. At first I was more angry than sad. I wanted to find Oblivion and kill him alone. But then I saw her body, or what's left of it rather. It was a powerful wake up call for me, Agelian. We can't do anything to change what happened, but what we can do is honor their memories. Dinky wouldn't want you to sit here in your sorrow and just slump around. This is the mare who would always cheer you on to do your best, the one who always wanted you to never give up. Make sure her death wasn't in vain, and fight back."

"I...I just don't know if I can," Agelian sobs.

"You can, I believe in you. And though it'll be hard to push through it all, I'll be here for you."

Looking around, Agelian notices that on the other side of the hall, Chupa's joined in on a game of Pin the Tail on the Pony, and Star and Devlin are at the snack table, enjoying the Cake Twins' marvelous treats. He sees Bri, Scatter, and the CMC MkII dancing over by the turntable, and all of the other ponies enjoying the party despite all the pain they've been feeling. Venus Greenhooves, the granddaughter of the old Ponyville gardner, Mr. Greenhooves, who passed away, is laughing with some of her friends; Bonbon from the sweet shop is playing Twister with Roseluck and Doctor Whooves; and Trixie Lulamoon's parents from Canterlot are even having a good time.

All these ponies who have lost loved ones before their time, how can they be having such a good time? Looking back to Terra now, Agelian nods and agrees to give it his best. Terra was right, after all. Dinky would have yelled at him if she could see him now. She'd never want him to just give in to his sorrow. Climbing to his hooves, he smiles and steps forward to go join the run when suddenly, Zebasiz Shadowbane gallops over to them. Wearing a party hat and multi-colored beads, he laughs as he tells them that this party is just amazing.

"Yeah, Bri and Scatter are the ones who put it together," Agelian tells him as he wipes away his tears, "they're really good at it."

"I can tell. By the way, Terra, I was meaning to ask you something. With Princess Aurora still missing, shouldn't the Task Force be working with the royal guard right now to find her? I haven't gotten to do much since joining. With Captain Everglade having died, I know the guard is trying to find out what happened to her, but we need to focus on finding the princess still as well."

"Heh, you sound like I did a while back. You know, I was against my friends going to Detrot. Not because I thought something bad was going to happen, but because I felt that it was more important to continue our search for Princess Aurora. Thanks to Bri, I ended up learning that if you continue to push yourself too hard, it'll only lead to ruin. You have to take a break every now and again, and one little party here couldn't possibly hurt," Terra replies with a smile, patting his new friend on the shoulder.

"I see. I guess you're..." Zebasiz begins when the doors to the hall suddenly burst in. Although most of the party-goers continue to enjoy their time, not even noticing the sudden entrance, Terra, Agelian, and Zebasiz all look towards the open threshold, in which stands a very distressed looking Amethyst Star. Standing at full attention, Agelian notices something is clearly wrong and runs over.

"Amethyst! What's wrong!?"

"Agelian!? Oh my Celestia, I'm glad I found you!" she tells him through damp eyes, "my mother's missing! When you guys told her about Dinky's death a few days ago, she locked herself in her room. But this morning I found the room empty and her window wide open! I don't know where she is! Not even the post office has seen or heard from her, nor has any of her friends! I don't know what to do!"

Hugging the mare, Agelian pats her on the back of the head and tries to calm her down. While holding her, he calls out to Terra and Zebasiz, telling the two of them, "Get the others right away. We have to help find Derpy no matter what."

"Listen Amethyst," he then adds as the other two stallions run off, "we're going to find her. I need to know more details. You said she had locked herself in her room?"

Choking through her tears, the mare nods, "Yes, right after she slammed the door in your face. She flew up to her room and locked herself in to cry. She hadn't left these past five days. I went to check in on her today, but when I went in, she was...she was...gone! Dinky was so important to my mother. She was her first adopted child and she loved Dinky more than anything else in the world. I came a few months later, at Dinky's request. We knew each other in the orphanage and she wanted to get me out too. I just don't know what to do! Who knows where my mother's at right now! With her in this state, she could be ready to do anything!"

"Don't worry, we'll get to her before then."

At that moment, Terra and Zebasiz return, joined by Bri, Scatter, Chupa, the CMC MkII, Vinyl, Star, and Devlin. Nodding, Agelian begins to take charge as he tells them all, "Ok, we need to find Derpy Hooves. She's missing and in a very bad condition. We need to get to her before she can take any rash actions. Chupa, you and the CMC take the southern end of town. Star, Bri, and Scatter. I need you three to go north. Terra, Vinyl, you two will come with me to the east. As for you, Devlin and Zebasiz, you two go to the west. She's likely not here in the center of town, as this is where everypony is right now. Also, Vinyl, do you have somepony who can take over for you here? We need to keep everypony in good spirits."

"Well, there's this little guy here, Majus. He obviously has the skills to do the job," Vinyl says.

"We can't go without him!" Gumdrop yells out, "he's part of the CMC MkII!"

"It's alright, go ahead. I finally found what I'm meant to do. I grew up without knowing any family, and you three gave that to me. Now I need to do my part to help, and if that means staying here and making sure everypony here has the time of their lives, then that's what I'm going to do."

"Thank you Majus," Agelian says with a smile, "now as for everypony else! Let's head out and find Amethyst's mother!"

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As they gallop down the hill in the road leading from the party at town hall, Chupa and the remaining three members of the CMC MkII begin what is to most likely be an exhaustive search in the southern most section of town. A deep, worrisome concern begins to float around Chupa's mind. She earnestly wants to do whatever she can to help, but she's only seen Miss Derpy before in passing. The two of them have never met on real terms before this. And on top of it all, she wonders if the bubbly mailmare would even want to be found in the first place. If not, then would it not be a great deal harder to find her? Nopony tends to run away and go into hiding, yet stay in plain sight. Some can pull it off well, but for the most part, it just isn't practical for someone trying to avoid others. So many thoughts and ideas, so many options.

Sometimes it's hard for the filly to have such prodigal intelligence. Every possible scenario and outcome develops for her, and some more painful and hard than others. She may be the Element of Peace, but her talents in that focus more on bringing peace to her friends and the other ponies in Equestria. She's always had trouble doing the same for herself, especially in such stressful situations. But she has to keep calm and continue the search. She can't let Amethyst down after everything she's gone through this past week. Stopping in her stride, the filly takes a quick moment, breathing in and releasing. It's a trick that Fluttershy had taught to her, who herself had learned it from Princesses Twilight and Cadance back in the day. And it seems to work.

Feeling refreshed and more focused, a smile spreads on her face as she turns to face her three friends. It's about time she's taken charge of their little group and begin planning out their search a little better. However, as she tries to do so, she notices that the other three are nowhere to be seen. Instantly, the panic returns, causing her to have to repeat the breathing technique once more before now expanding her search to include the three crusaders who have run off on her. She just hopes that they haven't gotten into trouble.

Trotting down the street, she call out to them, "Spring! Gumdrop! Honeysuckle! Where did you go!?"

Almost instantly she's met back with the echoing sound of young laughter coming from one of the nearby buildings. She gallops over with haste to find it to be a fine china shop. A terrifying thought comes to her mind, and she rushes in, bursting through the door. Inside the shop, among all the fragile dinnerware, the three little fillies turn on the spot towards their friend in curiosity. In front of them is the store's owner, a thin, lanky stallion from Japony named Glass Jaw, who also looks over in surprise. The poor guy had jumped at the sudden outburst, and now stands there looking near terrified.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Glass," Chupa says with a slight bow, "but have these three been bothering you?"

Timidly straightening his glasses, the stallion replies, "No, no. Not at all. They were just asking about the mailmare, Derpy. Are you also looking for her then, Miss Chupa?"

"I am. Have you seen or heard anything? She apparently could have gone missing at any point over the past five days."

"I'm sorry Miss Chupa, but I have not seen Derpy for days. She usually hoof delivers my mail right to me here in the shop. It's funny really. Despite her issues, she's never broken anything. She seems to take extra precautions to make sure she doesn't. She's a really nice mare, and I hope you find her. I'll keep my eyes and ears open as well, and will let you know if I come upon anything."

"Thank you, Mr. Glass," she says, bowing once again. Turning to the CMC, she adds, "now you three, listen up. We can't just go running around haphazardly. I've been reading this Sherclop Pones book that Star leant me recently. It says in there that the proper way to begin any investigation is to gather clues and evidence. We need to go to places that Derpy frequents and try to find something that might tell us where she could have gone."

"We're sorry. We just really wanna help," Honeysuckle tells her friend, head lowering in sorrow.

Smiling, Chupa lifts it up by the chin and tells her, "It's alright girls. Let's just focus now on really getting this search going. And even if it's not us that finds her, one of our groups will. We will make sure Derpy comes home, and see Amethyst smile again."

"Ok!" the CMC yell out together as they high hoof before following Chupa out of the shop.

***********************************************************************************************************

"Hmm...well, by my calculations, Derpy must have been around here recently. No, she was DEFINITELY here, I'm positive about it," Zebasiz tells Devlin as the two of them look down at a small, gray feather pinned underneath a loose cobblestone on the Hoof Street road, "this feather very clearly matches that of the missing mare."

"Seriously? How can you tell? There have got to be tons of other Pegasi in this town with gray coats, at least enough to cause doubt to the owner of the feather. How can you be so sure this is Derpy's?"

Glancing from the feather to Zeb and back again, Devlin ponders this, wondering if his new friend could possibly have an explanation for something like this. To his surprise, the former doctor reaches into his saddlebag, pulling out a small, framed picture which he proceeds to thrust into Devlin's face. Smiling, but hiding a subtle sorrow, he explains that he knows that this feather is from Derpy and not some other Pegasi because he knows the mare personally.

"You see, twenty years ago, before I even began working at the mental institution, I was employed over at the Ponyville General Hospital. Derpy had come in one day, having injured her wing in a flying accident. She needed some quick assistance, nothing too horrible, and I was currently free. I agreed to treat her, and we actually became good friends through everything. Whenever she'd get hurt, I'd jump at the chance to treat her. I care about her, you know? I've seen her feathers up close and personal time and time again. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this feather does belong to her. The size of it, as well as shading of the gray, matches her perfectly."

"Wow," Devlin responds, smiling back with a newfound understanding, "I never would've guessed. So this search is quite important to you as well then."

"It is. I pray that she isn't hurt, or have been ponynapped. I feel a sense of duty concerning her, a need to protect and help her whenever she needs it."

"It sounds like you love her." The words unintentionally come out in a harsh, mocking tone. However, Laughing, Zebasiz just nods and affirms the assumption.

"I've never had anyone before. I never had the time, always believing that I had to focus on my work and study as hard as possible to be the best in my field. I've always pushed relationships to the back burner. I mean, it's true that I'd try to be as friendly as I could to all my patients. I always cared for them. But at the same time, I never really bonded with any of them like I did with Derpy. Leaving the hospital and beginning work at the institution was the hardest thing I've ever done. I guess you could say I was scared. Scared of my feelings for a beautiful mare who lives her life in a way that should be an inspiration to us all, not a cause for mockery. I haven't seen her much since then, only in passing and when she'd deliver my mail. I feel like I left her behind, and now, now I have the chance to do something about it. I can finally show her how much I truly love her."

Standing up straight, a new gleam in his eyes and excitement in his soul, the other stallion pats his friend on the shoulder and replies, "Well then, let's find Derpy and make sure she knows exactly how you feel about her!"

Tears come to Zebasiz' eyes as he thanks his friend and they resume their searching. Pulling out a baggie from his saddlebag, Zeb carefully places the feather inside, citing it as evidence. He then labels the bag with exact detail as to where they found the feather, and nods as he accompanies Devlin onward. Their search throughout the western sector of town continues on for the next few hours, not finding much more evidence of Derpy's location other than a couple more feathers. Certainly nothing that tells them where she might be, or what she's doing.

Eventually, after exhausting themselves to the point of having no more ideas, the two stop beside a small grouping of public houses. Sighing, they take a seat beside one of the buildings to rest. Zebasiz, looking forlorn and disconsolate, buries his face into his hooves as he practically gives up. They've searched this entire sector of town and not a single valuable piece of evidence to note. Just a bunch of damn feathers that have done nothing for their investigation. Taking a seat beside him, Devlin puts his hoof around his friend and consoles him, reminding Zeb that just because they personally haven't found anything doesn't mean another group hasn't.

"Remember, we have ponies out in all of town. We'll find her, don't worry."

"What if she's not in town!? What if she left Ponyville!?" Zebasiz angrily yells back, frustrated at the entirety of his life at the moment. In his mind he blames himself. He shouldn't have left the hospital for the stupid facility! It's ruined his life, and possibly Derpy's as well. The rage within him boils to new heights as he begins to unleash his anger, violently slamming his hooves against the wall of the house behind him. Nothing happens. No bricks fall and no one is hurt by the act of aggression, yet still, it calms him slightly. Even if just a small amount, his anger subsides as he looks up at the cloudless sky and contemplates his future now, wondering what he's going to do at this point. He looks back down, and that's when something catches his eye.

Over at the neighboring building, sitting against the wall as they are now, is a small pile of sand. Just an ordinary lump of granular material, nothing out of the ordinary at all. Well, except that it's there in the first place. Climbing to his hooves, he surprises Devlin as he slowly walks over and picks up a few grains with his magic, analyzing them with deep scrutiny. Devlin trots over as well, asking, "What's the matter? It's just sand."

"No...it's not," Zebasiz tells him, eyes widening in horror, "this is not just sand. This...this isn't sand at all. Sand is finely divided rock and minerals. This is, organic. I don't know exactly what it is, but it feels like it's alive. I just...I get this eerie feeling from it. Follow me, I know this scientist in the central sector. He might be able to quickly analyze it and tell us what it is. We have to hurry though, this might be important."

********************************************************************************************************\

Up in the northern sector of Ponyville, the group of Star, Scatter, and Bri slowly trot onward down the cobblestone road. Their eyes peeled as they scan the surrounding area for any and all signs of the bubbly mailmare, the three of them remain mostly quiet and focused. The occasional sigh escapes one of them, but not a word passes over their lips. While it's true that none of them have ever really known Derpy Hooves on a personal level, they had seen her flying around Ponyville from time to time. She stands out like a sore hoof with her bright blonde hair, shiny grey coat, and lovable personality. Yet since they began their search, they haven't seen hide nor hair of her. Not even a single clue to give them a head start.

Feeling hopeless, Star's mind begins to wander. Traveling from the task at hand to other little things, she wonders how the other groups are doing, how her sister is, and even such menial things as what she's going to do for dinner tonight. Images of her various friends and family pop into her consciousness. Feelings of happiness, sorrow, and dread plague her as she walks aimlessly alongside the other two. It's all because of Oblivion. The status quo has changed, and life has gone with it. Nothing has been the same since the Dark Star Incident, and now it's caused the disappearance of an innocent mare.

Her eyes dart over to Bri and Scatter, narrowing as questioning thoughts arrive. It isn't that she doesn't trust them. She does, and she cares deeply for them too. There's few in the entire world she trusts more than Bri, a childhood friend from years and years ago. And Scatter, well he's more than proven himself to be a faithful, loving, valuable friend. Neither of them have done anything to warrant any sort of distrust. Yet for some inexplicable reason, her mind is drawn to them. Something isn't right here.

The Brotherhood of the Silent Pathfinders, the mysterious organization to which both of these friends belong. She knows that the group is more than just an old pony's tale., but otherwise is completely in the dark. She knows next to nothing of who they are. What is their goal? Who is their leader? Is there anypony else she knows within their ranks? The questions pile up in the shallow recesses of her mind. She wants to ask them everything she can, but wonders how they'd respond. She doesn't even know if the Brotherhood is meant to be a secret organization or not. So she couldn't even begin to fathom what they'd say if she brought it up now.

Shaking her head violently, which luckily goes missed by the other two, Star nearly slaps herself at the realization of it all. She's spent so much time focusing on this unrelated thought, that she hasn't been keeping an eye out for a sign of Derpy. If she lets these questions in her mind take her focus away from what really matters, they could miss an important clue. She has to just get it over with, to ask them no matter how they'll react. It's a risky move, but she'd rather just end the torment of her insatiable curiosity before it builds up to a destructive height.

Closing the gap between her and her friends, she waves her hoof to gain their attention. As both Scatter and Bri look her way, she begins asking them every single question she had been pondering in rapid succession. The speed at which she relays them is ungodly. The fact that she doesn't even mess up a syllable is shocking. The faces of her friends afterwards? Confused and slightly worried for the young pegasus mare. Bri and Scatter turn to face each other for a quick second, before Bri turns back to Star with a wide smile and begins, "Well, the Brotherhood is..."

"...what in the hay are you doing!?" Scatter suddenly shouts out, startling both of the mares as he forcefully covers Bri's mouth. Pushing his hooves away, she gives him a confused and irritated look, to which he sighs and continues, "You're seriously going to just discuss the Brotherhood with a non-member? We shouldn't have even told the others about it existing. We definitely can't give up any specific details. Let's just worry about finding Derpy right now, and put a pin in these questions until after we can discuss it with Babe."

"Scatter, Star is my best friend. I trust her more than anypony else. Why can't she know? It's not like Babe swore us into secrecy or anything, and even if he did, I don't think she'll be a danger to anyone if we let her know."

"Babe?" Star curiously asks, having heard the name twice now in the past minute. This causes Scatter to blow up, screaming loudly to nopony in particular before stopping his onward trot. He then steps in front of Bri in a confrontational manner, forcing her to come to a halt as well.

"Why in the ever loving hay would you say his name!? Are you daft!? I didn't think you NEEDED to be told to keep the Brotherhood a secret! It's common sense for crying out loud! I mean, the only reason we even told you about it and let you join was because we knew that you have certain skills and knowledge that would help us! But if you're going to just go around gabbing to everypony about what we're doing, and who's in the Brotherhood, then maybe you're not fit to be a member!"

"Well excuse me for thinking otherwise!" Bri snaps back, her normally happy-go-lucky demeanor a lovely memory of the past, "I'm sorry if I apparently stepped over the line, jackass! But maybe you should've made things more clear! I was never bucking told that I couldn't tell anypony about the Brotherhood or it's members! Hay, the only reason I haven't before is because nopony has asked! What am I supposed to tell Star!? That she's not worthy of knowing!?

The sudden outburst surprises both Scatter and Star, the latter of which begins to lower herself down, emotions welling up within her. This fighting, it's not friendship. It's nothing but depressing and horrible, an act of pure malice playing out right in front of her eyes. Two of her close friends are throwing venom back and forth, spitting at each other like cobras ready to strike. It's absolutely disconcerting.

"I don't give a buck what you say to her! As long as it's not confidential information about the Brotherhood!"

"Hey Star!" Bri calls out to her friend as an angry, antagonizing smirk spreads across her muzzle, "the Brotherhood of Silent Pathfinders is a group dedicated to finding Pinkie Pie and utilizing the magic of the Silver Element to protect the world from threats like Oblivion! Our leader is an Earth Pony stallion from Germaney named Babe Chenko, and many ponies from all over the world, including Ponyville, are in our ranks!"

Blaring in rage, the unicorn pounces at Bri, tackling her onto the hard street below her. Helpless to do anything but watch as her two friends exchange blows, Star drops to her flank and begins to cry into her hooves. Bri and Scatter lay into each other, shouting various colorful expletives. Star's mind begins to wander again, wondering if all of this was her fault. Her stupid curiosity, the idiocy of her mind going from one focus to another. Why couldn't she have just stayed silent about it all? Why couldn't she have just moved on and focused on finding Derpy? It's...it's all her fault...

********************************************************************************************************

"Sooo...what's the deal with this Dinky gal? She important to you?" Vinyl asks, looking at the solemn-faced Agelian as they search the eastern end of town. Terra makes a motion for Vinyl to shut up, but the pegasus just sighs and looks up at the clouds, worrying both Terra and Vinyl.

"Dinky was...she was important to me, yes. I loved her, more than anything in the world. More than flying itself. She worked as a flight manager for me, a personal assistant, and she soon became something more. We began dating, and after a while, I proposed. She agreed, and we were set to be married. But then we were going to Detrot, where I met you. On the way there, I was possessed by Oblivion, the leader of the Agent who attacked the city. Because of his influence I...I..."

Tears flowing down from his eyes, Agelian visibly shakes in sorrow. Both Terra and Vinyl go up to their friend and nuzzle him in comfort. He continues, "I...killed Dinky. I ripped her flesh away and...killed her. I was forced to watch, unable to do anything, as the monster possessing me tore into her shoulder. As the blood sprayed out from her. As the tears streamed down her cheeks. I...I still remember her last words to me..."

The soft crying now turns into a full bawl. Dropping to the ground, Agelian's body twitches and vibrates wildly against his control. The stones of the street become soaked with the river of tears cascading from his eyes. Ponies all around stop to look, confused and slightly disturbed. Some of them realize who it is, and walk along, knowing the pain that he must be going through. Others slowly pass on by, murmuring under their breath, calling the sorrowful pegasus a freak, baby, or loser.

"It's ok," Vinyl tells him, hugging him tight as tears form in her own ducts, "I couldn't even imagine if something happened to Tavi. You don't have to continue."

"No...I have to let this out. I can't keep this bottled up inside any longer. Her last words to me...I'll never forget them. Every night, I hear them in my mind. I have nightmares, seeing her horrified expression as I take another chunk out of her flesh. The last thing she said to me was...was...'I love you."

As he begins to wail again, his pain and misery is felt by the two friends now embracing him. Vinyl thinks of Octavia, and how much she means to her. Her entire life has been shaped by Tavi. Every concert, every great moment. If Octavia ended up dying, and if Vinyl herself was at fault, she'd probably commit suicide. For Terra, he knows much more about how his friend is feeling. Though he's hidden his feelings well, an unfortunate side effect of tough military training, he cannot repel the tears as he thinks of Everglade. His successor as Captain of the Guard, she was an amazing soldier and leader. He never got to tell her how he really felt. He wasn't at fault for her death, but when he saw her mutilated corpse, he could barely contain the sheer terror and depression welling up within him.

For a solid few minutes, the three of them just sit there in the middle of the street, holding each other as they cry in shared sorrow. To the average pony passing by, it would almost seem funny. But the citizens of Ponyville know the plight faced by at least two of these three. They know not to bother them, to not judge them, and to not see them as any less for their actions here. It seems to go on forever, but they soon calm themselves down and wipe away their tears. Agelian thanks Vinyl for letting him finally get things off his chest, but notes that they should probably get back to their search.

"Do you know Derpy Hooves at all, Vinyl?" Terra asks as the three of them trot on.

"Well, sure. I used to live here ya know. I mean, I didn't REALLY know her. We were never hanging out and whatnot. I was too into music, while she was more of a helpful soul, ya dig? But anyways, I did know her a little. We talked from time to time. She could actually get pretty deep."

"Hmm, well I don't know if meaningful conversations like that would be useful," Agelian replies with a sigh, still wiping away salty tears, "unless she told you about herself during any of your talks."

"Nah man, not really. It was more about other ponies, and political situations. That kind of stuff."

"Well, we're not really having any luck here," Terra proclaims, looking around at the buildings and streets, hoping to find something, anything, that could help them. "The three of us alone just aren't enough it seems. The eastern end of this town is just too big."

"Oh, I can fix that!" Vinyl suddenly exclaims, smirking. Her horn begins to glow, and veins pop out from her head. She begins to gnash her teeth together as she struggles with the spell. Both of the stallions just watch in awe as a glowing blue cloud forms in front of her, and an instant later, a grey-coated pony with black hair appears within it. Wrapped in a purple towel, she has her eyes closed and is humming a melodic tune. She doesn't seem to notice anything at first, until a wind blows and sends the towel flying off of her.

As Octavia Melody opens her eyes, she sees that she's no longer in her bathroom back in Canterlot. Once again, the ponies walking along the street have stopped to stare. A bewildered expression forms on the mare's face as her head darts around from Agelian to Terra, and then finally to the now exhausted Vinyl, who gives her a loving smile. She looks at the ponies around her, and instantly goes to cover herself up while screaming in a combination of shock, embarrassment, and anger.

"Um...Tavi, you know we normally don't wear clothes, right?"

"Vinyl, what in the buck is going on!? Why did you teleport me here!? I just got out of the bath for ponies sake! I'm still dripping wet!"

"Baby, calm down," Vinyl softly replies, her tone reaching an almost condescending sound, "just chillax Tavi. We needed your help, and there wasn't time to check in on you and see if ya were good to come. We just had to get ya here right away, ‘kay babe?"

Rolling her eyes, Octavia drops to all fours and neatly begins to fold up the towel. Vinyl uses her magic to transport it away, bringing instead Tavi's bowtie, tying it onto her marefriend with an apologetic smirk. A sigh later, and Tavi asks them, "So what is it that you need me for?"

Vinyl gives the two stallions a nervous look, then begins to explain everything; from the events that happened with Dinky before the concert in Detrot, Derpy's disappearance, and everything they've done since. Their journey has thus far been fruitless, with not a single sign of the mailmare anywhere. Another sigh escapes the mare following the story, but is followed by a confident nod and smile. Straightening her bowtie, she tells them, "Let's get started then."

The four ponies continue their trek through town, searching low and high, high and low, for any clues possible. They pass by many stores, houses, and other ponies, yet not a hair nor feather of the missing mare can be found. As they near the end of the town's border, they're almost ready to give up. However, Vinyl suddenly pipes up, noting to the others, "Wait! We're right by the schoolhouse, right? We can ask Cheerilee if she's seen anything...she still works there, right?"

"Yes, she does!" Agelian laughs, surprised that he had never even thought of this. Vinyl's right, Cheerilee should be there at this time, working on things to prepare for tomorrow's class. She's always been close to Derpy, the two having been in the same class together growing up. Granted, he doesn't know if they're remained close all the years since, but if she has, she might know something. It's definitely worth the shot.

Not too far ahead they can see the looming building of the Ponyville Schoolhouse before them. A small building, yet one that serves it's purpose well, it has an almost nostalgic feel to it, despite having been fixed up and worked on for years. Hay, almost none of the original building is left at this point. Yet it looks as beauteous as the day it first opened. Right outside the door they see Cheerilee standing there, a smile on her face as she speaks to two stallions unknown to the four of them.

The first of the mysterious stallions has a golden coat, yet no mane. Even his tail is bare, yet he does have a thick brown mustache on his face. A pair of dark sunglasses conspicuously cover his eyes. Atop his head, a black bowler hat. His cutie mark is a beaker filled with a green liquid, making the four friends think of chemistry. Beside him stands a dark blue coated stallion with a short blonde mane that sits down over his forehead. Unlike the mysterious look and quiet, unassuming demeanor of the first pony, this one is wild eyed and doesn't seem to have a serious bone in his body. A smirk on his face, and cigarette in his mouth, he eyes Cheerilee up and down as she speaks to them.

As the search party approaches them, they hear the unassuming stallion ask Cheerilee, "Come on, don't you know who I am? Say my name."

"Walter Whinny," she replies, chuckling a little.

"That's right."

Shaking her head with a laugh, the mare notices the others walking up and waves them over. Looking at each other, Vinyl, Octavia, Agelian, and Terra give each other a nod of conviction and move forth. They choose to not waste any time, instantly telling Cheerilee why they've come and asking if she knows anything about where Derpy might have gone. To their disappointment, however, she tells them that she hasn't seen or heard from the mailmare in a long time.

"Our schedules have been really busy these past few years. We just haven't had the time to be able to chat as much as we used to. I wish I could help you, but I don't even know many ponies who she'd be really close to right now apart from the ones you've already been talking to."

"It's alright, thanks anyways," Agelian replies, downtrodden. All this guilt and sorrow plaguing him since Dinky's death has only been magnified with the disappearance of Derpy. Now it seems their entire search has been in vain, and of course, he hasn't heard or seen anypony from one of the other groups, so he can assume they've yet to find anything either.

Noticing his pained expression, Cheerilee smiles and motions to her two friends, "Let me introduce you. These two are transferring to Ponyville High School." She first points to the gold-coated stallion and adds, "This is Walter Whinny. He's a chemistry teacher who prefers hoofs on methods to his classes. He moved in with his children, and his wife Sky. And this," she says as she now looks over to the other stallion, who nervously jumps and begins whistling as he turns to face the four, "is Eikichi Onibucka. He's going to be going in as a homeroom teacher. He's a little...wild, but his teaching methods are well known. They speak for themselves."

Courteously, they greet the two teachers with a gentle smile, hiding their desperation and worry. They know that they can't be wasting all this time, but they also don't want to just wave Cheerilee and the other two off. Stepping forward, Walter suddenly seems to have an epiphany and tells them, "That mare you're looking for, I think I actually might have seen her around. You said she was a pegasus with a grey coat and blonde mane, right? Well I saw a pony just like that this morning. She was flying off towards Sweet Apple Acres."

"Oh my gosh, thank you!" Agelian shouts out, shaking Walter's hoof violently. Saying their goodbyes, the four of them thank Cheerilee, Walter, and Eikichi and begin to head out. They now have a big lead on what to do, and hopefully, they'll find the mailmare at the farm with Apple Bloom and the others.

**********************************************************************************************************

Following the unanticipated and unsettling discovery of the mysterious grains of a strange sand-like substance during the exhaustive search for the missing Derpy Hooves, Devlin followed his new friend Zebasiz to Ponyville's central sector. An exasperated sigh escapes the former doctor, still upset over the disappearance of the bubbly gray mare. He thinks back in fondness of all those times he had helped her at the hospital, and knows that no matter what, he has to save her. So only a few feet from town hall, he brings Devlin to a large, gray building. The windows are completely blacked out with a strange kind of magic, and the handle-less door is made of a shimmer, hardened steel with a thin eye slot in the upper part of it. Looking down, Devlin sees that the grass right outside of the building is old, dried, and seemingly uncared for. A cool wind slices through his spine, and an unwelcoming chill comes over the stallion. Something about this place really puts him off, though he's unable to place why that is.

As he stands there, a worried expression carved across his face, he watches as Zebasiz slowly approaches the door and gives a short, sharp rap upon the steel. Directly after, he steps back and advises his friend to follow suit. Right as they do, the slot on the door swings open violently, creating a terrible shrieking sound. That's when a long, metallic stalk suddenly bursts out at blinding speed. It's clearly a different material than the door, and moves in a snake-like manner as it waves back and forth in the air. Stretching further out, the end of the stalk opens to unveil a large eyeball with a shutter for an iris. Though afraid, and unsure of what's happening, one thing is chillingly clear; that is a real eye. Yet at the same time, something seems off about it, as if it were modified through some scientific procedure. The very sight of it is sickening.

"Nok Teveil Soruut!"

The strange language, the echoing dialect, explodes through the still air, invading Devlin's ears like some kind of viral infection. Each syllable crashes into him with a screeching rasp. It's not a sound he's ever heard before. Not from any other pony, or creature in general. Zeb, however, seems to understand the violent-sounding statement and replies back in the same raspy, unnatural sound, "Aishuu Gervak Razuk. Niimas Veram Grot." It's only upon finishing that he notices the unsettled twitching of his friend, and chuckles to himself. It had slipped his mind. Of course Devlin would have never heard this language before.

"Sorry about that," Zeb tells his friend, rubbing the back of his neck in meekness, "have you ever heard of something called the Leeds Devil?"

"Uh....no. Should I have?" Devlin asks, more befuddled than ever. Now that he thinks about it, he has heard of the province of Leeds across the sea. It's a strange land that bears similarities to their own, but at the same time, is vastly different. There are ponies there, according to school textbooks, but they're nothing like the ones here. And the creatures that are said to live in Leeds are the likes of which he could never even begin to imagine. Is this "Leeds Devil" one of them? But then wait, why is Zebasiz suddenly asking about this? He couldn't possibly be insinuating...no, it just can't be. Devlin looks over from Zeb to the strange metallic eye stalk and back, and a look of fear comes to him as sudden realization hits. It explains everything. The strange language, the dead grass, the odd appearance of the building that sticks out from the rest of Ponyville's architecture. It could all be taken from this creature's homelands. That creepy eyestalk, it could be a part of the Leeds Devil himself, and the very thought of it is terrifying. He doesn't even want to imagine what the rest of the thing looks like.

Before Zeb can say anything more, the stalk then retreats back into the slot, with slams behind it. The door then slowly creaks open. The sound is as if the hinges hadn't been oiled in years, and sends even more shivers throughout the stallion's body. The monstrous being that steps towards them is more terrible than he could've ever imagined. A tall, muscled, bipedal creature with dark brown fur covering most of his body. His hooves below the fur are cloven, and he has two strong-looking arms sticking out of either side of his body, each of them gray and scaly, and ending in a horrifying claw. The gray, furless neck that stems from his torso has a slimy, yet leathery, appearance. It's thin and terrible, and the head that sits atop it is not but an elongated skull with glowing green dots for eyes and razor sharp fangs. He has two long, multi-pointed antlers sticking out from it, and spines running down the whole of his back that end in a dragon-like tail. Exploding from his shoulder blades are two giant bat-like wings with a span of at least 10 feet when unfolded.

Atop the Devil's head is a strange metallic helmet with the eye stalk growing out of the top. Attached to the helmet is a scope that sits at the Leeds Devil's right eye. Then, what Devlin can only assume to be a grin spreads across the creature's...well...skull. A cold sweat drips down the stallion's face as the monstrously tall beast bends down in curiosity, staring at him for a split second before removing the helmet and tossing it back inside like a flying disc. Though he expects to hear a loud clang, one never comes, only increasing the mysteries surrounding this creature.

"Kerak Deras Bii!?" he grows at Zebasiz, his voice sounding enraged as he keeps his glowing eyes glued to the petrified Devlin standing before him.

"Num. Tiis Dar Leome," Zeb calmly replies as he then turns to Devlin and tells him in their own, normal language, "he's a little shy around new ponies. Don't worry though, he's very friendly. This is Professor Vore Siirak, a Leed's Devil. He's one of the only remaining of his kind."

"What in the name of all that is holy is he doing in Ponyville!?" Devlin shouts, unaware that he's shaking violently and sweating profusely from the terror still echoing through his bones. The Professor leans forth and begins to uncivilly sniff him down, only adding to his discomfort.

"Well, he moved here about a year or two ago, I don't exactly remember how long. He was run out of Leeds by a dark creature, and has since made his living trying to help the ponies here. I've hired him time from time while I worked at the mental institution. The medicines and flora that he brought over from his homeland work wonders on ponykind. However, his specialty is that of a geologist. He can help us to identify this strange organic sand. Right professor?"

"Uknatah!"

Reaching into his saddlebag, Zeb pulls out the bag of sand and gives it over to Professor Siirak, who then turns and flies back into his laboratory at a startling speed, leaving the door wide open. Smiling, Zebasiz begins to head in, followed closely by the timid and terrified Devlin. How could he have not known this monster was living in town this entire time!? Shaking his head, he just continues inward, down a long metallic hallway. As they step into the main part of the darkened lab, the door shuts behind them, causing the already nervous stallion to jump up, and let out a terrified shriek. Responding from somewhere not too far away, Professor Siirak asks, "Tat Yuur Tiis!?"

"Han. Orkak Erul Neas. Urom Reeka."

It's unsettling to Devlin as Zebasiz continues to speak in this creepy language. It's just not right. Suddenly, lights spring to life in the lab, floating mysteriously in the air above the two ponies and Leeds Devil. The sights around the building continue to surprise the stallion, for the inside of the lab is as metallic and disturbing as the out. In fact, one could make an argument for it being worse. On metal tables and shelves are vials and beakers, each filled with strange liquids of colors that Devlin can't even identify. Rock samples sit neatly beside them, each of them marked with a slip of paper on which sits the written form of the strange language the Professor and Zebasiz had been speaking.

Professor Siirak sits on a stool at a table at the other end of the room. On the table are various scales, beakers, and more. He empties the bag of sand into a Petri dish and begins poking at it with a pair of tweezers. He drops some samples into a vial and adds in some strange chemicals before turning his head a complete 180 degrees and saying to them, "Urak Nokiim Zerr Varaum!"

Nodding, Zeb tells his friend that they're going to head into the waiting room while the Professor works. Nodding cautiously, Devlin follows Zeb off to the side of the room, finding another attached to it. Opening the door, they head inside and instantly one of the floating lights shoots in as well, illuminating the entire room for them. It seems simple, with a few seats and tables. Newspapers, magazines, books, and more reading material is scattered around, and even a couple of board games like Battle Clouds. For the next hour or so, the two of them sit there and talk, play games, and read, just trying to alleviate their boredom and waste time as they await the analysis of the sands to be finished. It's hard to believe that it could take this long, but Zeb assures Devlin that the results will be trustworthy.

"How can you be so sure? I mean, how can this creature be a scientist?"

Sighing, Zeb replies, "Creature huh? You know, he doesn't like being called that."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I offend that monstrous thing back in there!?"

"Listen Devlin, I know he can seem a bit frightening at first, but you gotta believe me, he's a good guy. Back in the province of Leeds, he was a respected scientist and researcher who helped improve the quality of life for everyone there. His species began to die out though due to the fact that being a carnivore and a friend to all living creatures at the same time just doesn't work. He told me that this dark creature suddenly appeared one day and began attacking the citizens of Leeds, and drove him out of the province itself. He came here to Equestria hoping to get help, but everypony feared him. So he moved here under the protection of Princess Aurora and began to work with the medical facilities. He had no other choice. He still doesn't even know what happened to his friends, his family, or his homeland in general."

"That's another thing. How can you even understand him? I've never heard of that language before, and I doubt you can learn it in medical school."

"Heh, well he actually has this ability to share knowledge of language with ponies. He can understand our language perfectly fine, but prefers to speak in his own. He allowed me to learn his as well, and since then I've respected him by always using it when speaking to him."

"Well," Devlin sighs as he leans back in the seat, rubbing his temple with his hoof, "do you know anything about this dark creature? I mean, it could've been Oblivion, right?"

"I don't think so. He told me that this dark creature had a physical form, but that he's unable to accurately describe it due to the sheer terror he felt when he saw it. He did tell me what he saw it do though. Apparently, whatever this thing was, it was able to shatter reality and rearrange the atomic and subatomic structure of all matter. He saw it destroy his own sister by tearing her apart atom by atom."

Devlin suddenly thinks of his own sister, of Bright Notes. He couldn't imagine seeing her killed in such a mortifying fashion. For the first time, he feels more than just fear of Professor Siirak. He feels sorrow, regret, and pity. It's hard for him to fathom, but this Leeds Devil is a thinking, feeling, and loving being that has lost more than he could ever imagine. Maybe he can give the professor a chance, just to show him that he's not like that monster that killed his sister, and very probably, his entire nation. Right then, as if knowing he was being talked and thought of, Professor Siirak slowly walks into the room. With his newfound respect for him, Devlin sees something on his face, an expression, actual emotion...terror. Something isn't right.

"Yrok Gevul Narsakara! Teruum Isav Erek Zuul! Pokak Lerr Tizuk, Rekom Saruk Uviir!"

Zebasiz looks at the professor in confusion, turning to Devlin to say, "He says that the sand isn't sand at all. They come up with the same biological signature as a pony. I don't understand what he means though. Give me a moment."

"Terasuu Rikako Waruum?" he asks the professor. However, Devlin doesn't need to wait for a response, as it suddenly dawns on him exactly what's going on here. A look of sheer, unadulterated horror spreads across his face. This can't be happening, it just can't be. Both Zeb and Professor Siirak seem to notice the sudden change in the stallion, and watch as he falls to the floor. Acting quickly, Zebasiz approaches his friend and helps him back up, asking him what's wrong.

"I...I...I know what that sand is now."

"What!? Tell us then!" Zebasiz replies.

"Taruuk," the Professor nods in agreement.

Shaking in the most terror he's ever felt, he explains to them, "That sand...it's...it's a pony. That's why the biological signature is the same. And that means...one of the Agents of Oblivion is in Ponyville."